Mets Notes: Catcher, Harvey, Bruce
The Mets have been without Travis d’Arnaud and Kevin Plawecki for a week and have received just two hits from their patchwork catching tandem of Jose Lobaton and Tomas Nido. However, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News hears that in spite of that, the Mets don’t plan to trade for a catcher before Plawecki returns in another two to three weeks. Ackert checked in on three AL clubs with “obvious” matches — speculatively speaking, Blake Swihart and Wilson Ramos would be a pair of clear on-paper matches — and was told that the Mets have not reached out. Rather, they’ve told clubs who’ve reached out that they plan to stay internal for now. Mike Puma of the New York Post paints a slightly different picture, reporting that the Mets have begun to kick the tires on some options. He lists Swihart, Ramos and Houston’s Max Stassi as “potential pursuits,” though there’s no mention of direct contact with the Red Sox, Rays or Astros regarding that trio in his report.
More notes out of Queens…
- With Jason Vargas nearing a return from the disabled list, the Mets will soon need to create a vacancy in their rotation, and based on performance, Matt Harvey would be the obvious starter to get bumped. However, the right-hander told the media following that he considers himself a starting pitcher and isn’t thinking about a move to the bullpen (links via Puma and MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo). Harvey cited his three scoreless innings to close out last night’s rough outing as evidence that he can “get people out still in the fifth and sixth inning when my pitch count gets up,” though the Braves had already pounced on him for six runs by that point. Harvey has more than five years of MLB service time, meaning he’d have to give his consent to be optioned to the minors. Asked about the possibility of being optioned, he told reporters: “I can’t answer that question right now.”
- MLB.com’s Bill Ladson sat down with Jay Bruce for a Q&A and talked about his return to the Mets, the team’s expectations and the work he’s done with hitting coaches Kevin Long (now with the Nationals) and Pat Roessler over the course of his Mets tenure. As Bruce explains, his return to New York was helped out by the fact that he had a chance to get to new new skipper Mickey Callaway in his time with Cleveland following last year’s trade. The Texas native acknowledges that there was some interest from Houston this offseason and that playing in his home state “would have meant a lot,” but he makes clear that he’s thrilled to be back in New York on a team that believes it can make a run at the postseason in 2018 and beyond.
AL East Notes: Rays, Red Sox, Orioles, Peterson
Given the loss of Kevin Kiermaier for upwards of three months and an ugly 4-12 start to the season, the Rays ought to be open to selling veteran pieces right now rather than waiting until the summer, opines Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. While there’s some logic to hold onto Chris Archer until later this year, particularly given his advantageous contract, Topkin argues in favor of trading other veterans such as Wilson Ramos, Adeiny Hechavarria, Alex Colome and Denard Span in the near future. Beyond that, however, Topkin posits that the Rays should make those moves as a means of paving way for well-regarded prospects like Willy Adames, Christian Arroyo and Jake Bauers, rather than just swapping out their veteran assets for stopgaps and replacement-level fillers. With the Rays already 9.5 games out of first place in the division, Baseball Prospectus pegs Tampa Bay’s postseason odds at just seven percent, while Fangraphs’ projections give the Rays a minuscule 0.2 percent chance of even securing a Wild Card berth.
- WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford takes a look back at the Red Sox‘ efforts to sign Shohei Ohtani out of high school back in 2013, chatting with then-Red Sox scouts Jon Deeble and Eddie Romero about their initial meeting with Ohtani. (Deeble is now the Dodgers’Pacific Rim director, while Romero is an assistant GM in Boston.) Both men recall Boston’s tireless pursuit of the player who Romero describes as “the best pitching prospect I had ever seen.” Ben Cherington, the Red Sox’ GM at the time, gave Deeble and Romero the green light to pursue Ohtani as aggressively as possible — including an agreement to let him develop as a two-way player if he signed with Boston. The Red Sox and Dodgers, Deeble suggests, would likely have been the finalists for Ohtani had he signed with a big league club out of high school, but NPB’s Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters were ultimately able to convince Ohtani to begin his professional career in his home country. Bradford’s column is full of quotes from Deeble and Romero on Ohtani as an amateur and a very interesting pursuit, which makes for a fun look back at what might have been.
- Jonathan Schoop‘s injury could push the Orioles to look outside the organization for some infield depth, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Kubatko notes that the O’s have held interest in Erick Aybar in the past, and the longtime Angels shortstop is currently unsigned after spending much of Spring Training with the Twins. Kubatko also indicates that the Orioles had interest in bringing Jace Peterson aboard after his DFA from the Yankees, but the Yanks were able to bring him back on board by offering a more lucrative split contract to the utilityman. “A number of teams” had interest in Peterson, per Kubatko, but he’ll remain in the Bronx for the time being.
Injury Notes: Kiermaier, Zunino, Iwakuma, Hosmer, Pomeranz
Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier suffered a right thumb sprain during today’s game against the Phillies. He’ll get an MRI on Monday, says manager Kevin Cash (h/t Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). There’s no official word yet as to the severity, but Cash says that “he’s going to be out” and that “there’s a chance he’s going to miss a chunk of time.” On Sunday, Johnny Field replaced Kiermaier after his departure, and could get the lion’s share of the work in center field while the former Gold Glove winner is out.
More of the latest injury notes from around MLB…
- Bob Dutton of MLB.com offers some insight into the return timetable of Mariners catcher Mike Zunino, who’s been sidelined the entire season thus far with an oblique strain. On Monday, he’ll begin a rehab assignment at the Class A Advanced level. “I’m really close,” said Zunino. “I think I’m ready now. I’ve had a couple of days of full swings in batting practice, but they’re just being really cautious.” As Dutton notes, that probably means the assignment will last at least two or three games. Meanwhile, 37-year-old right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma has been throwing bullpen sessions and could begin a rehab assignment himself in a few weeks. He had shoulder surgery on September 27th of last year after spending the bulk of the season on the DL.
- Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer missed his second consecutive game today with what’s being described as lower back tightness, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports. A club spokesman has apparently called the injury “minor”. The Friars gave Hosmer an eight-year, $144MM contract that represents a significant investment in both their present and future, and he’s off to a solid start so far this season, hitting .288/.364/.458 in 15 games.
- Lefty Drew Pomeranz of the Red Sox is scheduled to be activated for Friday’s tilt against Oakland, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports (via Ryan Hannable of the same publication). it’ll be his first start of the season. Pomeranz has been sidelined with a flexor tendon strain all season, and his return should further improve a Red Sox ballclub that’s currently 13-2 and sits high atop the AL East.
East Notes: Sox, Ohtani, G. Torres, Hellickson, Realmuto, Mets
Angels phenom Shohei Ohtani will start against the Red Sox on Tuesday. If the Sox had their druthers, though, it would be the other way around, per Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald. Boston, like just about every other major league team, courted Ohtani during his brief foray into free agency over the winter. The club showed Ohtani a 25-minute video presentation that prominently featured former Red Sox starter/slugger Babe Ruth, the most successful two-way player of all-time, as a recruiting tool. Ohtani is aiming to make a Ruthian impact as both a pitcher and a hitter in the majors, and so far he’s thriving on both ends. The Red Sox would have given Ohtani the opportunity to capitalize on his unique talents, as Silverman details, though he eliminated them (and most other clubs) from the process pretty quickly. “I wish we were in a position where we could have tackled that challenge,” said president Dave Dombrowski. “We liked him a great deal, we thought very highly of him. I thought he was a legitimate two-way player.” Silverman’s piece, which contains more quotes from Dombrowski and senior vice president of personnel Allard Baird (who scouted Ohtani extensively from 2012-17), is worth checking out in full.
More from the East Coast…
- Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson could take the ball for the Nationals on Monday when they open a series against the division-rival Mets, Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com suggests. Righty A.J. Cole is penciled in at the moment, though signs are pointing to Hellickson making his Nats debut, Zuckerman explains. Promoting Hellickson, whom Washington signed to a minors deal before the season, would require the team to add him to its 40-man roster and jettison someone else. That wouldn’t be the out-of-options Cole, per Zuckerman, who expects him to move to the bullpen in the event of a Hellickson call-up. The 31-year-old Hellickson, a veteran of 197 starts, will earn a $2MM salary if he lands a spot with the Nats.
- Manager Aaron Boone told Marc Carig of The Athletic and other reporters Sunday that it’s “possible,” albeit “not necessarily” probable, the Yankees will promote top prospect Gleyber Torres during the upcoming week. The Yankees would gain an extra year of control over the infielder by waiting until April 18 to promote him, though general manager Brian Cashman insisted during spring training that the team’s not concerned about that. Torres has made his case for a call-up at the Triple-A level since last year, having hit .333/.407/.496 in 135 plate appearances. If the 21-year-old does join the Yankees soon, he could be a factor at both second and third base.
- The Marlins’ best player, catcher J.T. Realmuto, is closing in on his 2018 debut. Realmuto, out since late March with a lower back injury, could rejoin the Marlins at the start of their nine-game road trip Monday, manager Don Mattingly informed Steve Dorsey of MLB.com and other reporters. And third baseman Martin Prado is “progressing” in his recovery from a left hamstring strain, per Mattingly, who added that the veteran could begin a rehab assignment soon. Prado, like Realmuto, hasn’t played yet this season.
- The Mets activated first baseman Dominic Smith from the DL on Sunday and optioned him to Triple-A Las Vegas, Tim Healey of Newsday tweets. The former top 100 prospect had been dealing with a strained quad since the outset of spring training, thus putting the kibosh on his chances of winning a job in camp. Smith, 22, is now behind Adrian Gonzalez, Wilmer Flores (and maybe others) in the Mets’ first base pecking order.
AL East Notes: Rays, Ramos, Yanks, Torres, Red Sox
The Rays “would love to talk” with the Mets about catcher Wilson Ramos if New York is interested in absorbing most of his $10.5MM salary, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. Whether the Mets are eyeing Ramos is unclear, but the NL-best club (11-1) is without its top two backstops, the injured Travis d’Arnaud and Kevin Plawecki, which could put it in the market for help behind the plate. D’Arnaud won’t play again this year (Tommy John surgery), though Plawecki should return within a month from a fracture in his left hand. Therefore, the Mets might not feel the need to do anything drastic, such as taking on most of Ramos’ money.
Here’s more from the AL East:
- The Yankees’ best prospect, infielder Gleyber Torres, could end up in the majors soon if the Miguel Andujar–Tyler Wade tandem doesn’t start producing for the club, George A. King III of the New York Post observes. Andujar, also one of the Yankees’ top prospects, collected a double and a triple in their win over the Tigers on Friday. The third baseman has just five hits in 34 plate appearances, though, while Wade – primarily a second baseman – has even fewer knocks (three) in 35 PAs. Torres could play either third or second, thus bumping either Andujar or Wade. The Yankees wouldn’t need help at the hot corner had Brandon Drury not gone on the DL ith severe migraines on April 7. Drury could return April 17, but that’s not likely, according to King. It just so happens that the Yankees could gain an extra year of team control over Torres, 21, by waiting until April 18 to promote him, King points out. Torres has made his case for a call-up this year, having batted a tremendous .387/.412/.548 over 34 PAs at the Triple-A level.
- The Red Sox have managed an American League-leading 12-2 record without left-hander Drew Pomeranz, who’s on the DL with a forearm flexor strain. But Pomeranz is nearing his 2018 debut, according to Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald. The 29-year-old made a Double-A rehab start Friday, and his next outing will be the Red Sox, according to manager Alex Cora. Pomeranz will take the hill either Thursday against the Angels or Friday versus the Athletics. This could be the last season in Boston for Pomeranz, who’s scheduled to hit free agency next winter.
- The Red Sox selected lefty Trey Ball seventh overall in 2013 with the hope that he’d make an impact in the majors as a starter. Five years later, they’ve moved him to the bullpen, per Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. The 23-year-old has taken to his new relief role thus far, having pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings at the Double-A level this season. Smith’s piece, which is worth checking out in full, contains several quotes from Red Sox vice president of pitching development and assistant pitching coach Brian Bannister regarding Ball’s transition.
MLB Issues Suspensions, Fines In Wake Of Yankees-Red Sox Brawl
Major League Baseball has announced a variety of suspensions and fines relating to last night’s dust-up between the Yankees and Red Sox. As Joel Sherman of the New York Post first reported on Twitter, New York first baseman Tyler Austin was slapped with a five-game ban while Boston reliever Joe Kelly will sit out six contests.
Both of those players have appealed their suspensions, meaning they won’t go into immediate effect and could still be shortened. Austin was penalized for charging Kelly on the hill and for his role in the melee. Kelly’s ban stemmed from a finding that he intentionally plunked Austin and also participated in the brawl.
Those two are also among those charged with undisclosed fines. Red Sox skipper Alex Cora and Yankees third base coach Phil Nevin were among them. A host of players on the disabled list — CC Sabathia, Dustin Pedroia, Xander Bogaerts, and Marco Hernandez — were also hit with fines for joining the fracas.
If these suspensions are upheld, they’ll hurt the respective teams somewhat but likely won’t have a major impact on the course of the current season. Still, the ongoing tension certainly makes tonight’s series-ending affair between these rivals appointment viewing and sets the stage for an interesting season-long battle between the two division favorites.
AL East Notes: Poyner, Walden, Rays, Jones
The Red Sox announced this morning that left-hander Bobby Poyner has been placed on the 10-day DL due to a strained left hamstring incurred in last night’s game. He’ll be replaced on the 25-man roster by righty Marcus Walden, who’s been recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket for his second stint with the Red Sox in the young season. Poyner, 25, surprised many by forcing his way onto the Opening Day roster with a terrific Spring Training effort, and he’s done nothing to make that decision look questionable through his first seven innings. The former 14th-rounder has allowed just a run on eight hits and a walk with eight strikeouts through those seven frames in his MLB debut, and his absence will leave Brian Johnson as the lone southpaw in Boston’s bullpen. As for Walden, the 29-year-old made his big league debut with five innings of two-run ball spread across three relief appearances earlier this season. Just three years ago, Walden was pitching on the independent circuit in search of a return to affiliated ball.
More from the AL East…
- Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal spoke to multiple Rays officials and players about the team’s unconventional pitching staff in 2018. Tampa Bay opened the year with just three starters in its rotation and a plan to patch together the would-be fourth and fifth spots in their rotation with an ongoing series of bullpen days. While some have questioned the wisdom of the decision, Diamond notes that the bullpen days thus far haven’t been the team’s downfall; rather, shaky performances from Chris Archer, Blake Snell and Jake Faria have hampered the Rays’ results. “If we occupy the wake of both the Yankees and Boston and our behavior is aligned with theirs, we’re never going to step out and pass them — ever,” one anonymous official tells Diamond. GM Erik Neander, meanwhile, acknowledges that his team’s plan may not pan out but assures that quite a bit of thinking went into the matter. As for the Rays’ players, Chris Archer and rookie left-hander Ryan Yarbrough were among those to voice their support of the system to Diamond.
- Orioles center fielder Adam Jones sat down with Bill Ladson of MLB.com for a Q&A in which the two discussed his impending free agency and the possibility of a midseason trade if things don’t go well in Baltimore. Asked what it would take for him to stay in Baltimore, Jones suggests his focus in free agency will be winning in the long term. Baltimore’s offseason signings of Andrew Cashner and Alex Cobb to multi-year deals “showed that we are going to make a commitment to pitching,” Jones noted in praising the front office. The longtime O’s cornerstone did note that his family lives on the West Coast, though he emphasized that he wasn’t so much voicing a preference to head west as acknowledging that he has alternatives if things don’t work out in Baltimore. Regarding a potential trade, Jones pointed out that he has 10-and-5 rights which would allow him to the right to refuse any deal and said it’d have to be a decision he made with his wife. Jones adds that he hopes to play until age 40, and he also talks with Ladson about his love for the city of Baltimore, his post-playing plans and the times in which he’s had to deal with racism throughout his career. The conversation is well worth a full read.
Injury Notes: Price, Shoemaker, Ervin, Trumbo, Yankees
Red Sox left-hander David Price exited tonight’s game after one inning for what the team called “precautionary” reasons due to a “sensation” in his left hand (Twitter link via Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald). It was a night to forget for the lefty, who was hammered for four runs on three hits (one homer) and a pair of walks in his lone inning before being replaced by rookie southpaw Bobby Poyner. Elbow problems cost Price a substantial portion of the 2017 season, but he’d kicked off the 2018 campaign with a pair of scoreless, seven-inning gems against the Rays. Presumably, the Sox will have further updates on his condition after tonight’s game and/or tomorrow morning.
Some more injury news from around baseball…
- The Angels announced tonight that right-hander Matt Shoemaker has been shut down for “a few weeks.” Shoemaker, on the DL for a forearm strain, underwent an EMG and a “nerve conduction study,” though the tests revealed no nerve irritation, per the announcement. Shoemaker is “treatment only” at this time as he awaits further testing. The Halos’ pitching staff has been hammered by injuries over the past couple of seasons, and they’ve already lost right-hander J.C. Ramirez for the season, as he’s likely to undergo Tommy John surgery to repair ligament damage in his right elbow. The Angels are on the verge of getting Andrew Heaney back, but they’ve already had to turn to 21-year-old prospect Jaime Barria, who is making his big league debut tonight. At present, it seems as if the Angels will deploy Shohei Ohtani, Garrett Richards, Tyler Skaggs and Heaney in their rotation moving forward, with righties Barria, Parker Bridwell and Nick Tropeano on hand as additional options. However, the loss of Ramirez and now an absence of undetermined length for Shoemaker, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Angels keep an eye out for some pitching depth.
- Right-hander Ervin Santana has been cleared to begin a throwing program, per Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The Twins‘ top starter, Santana has yet to pitch in 2018 after undergoing surgery to repair his right middle finger back in February. At last check, skipper Paul Molitor conceded that Santana was “a bit” behind schedule, though the start of a throwing program is a positive step for the 35-year-old. Berardino notes that Santana could require as much as six weeks to get back up to speed, however, so it seems as through the Twins will be without his contributions until at least mid-May.
- The Orioles have halted Mark Trumbo‘s rehab assignment, manager Buck Showalter told reporters, including Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com. While Showalter wouldn’t state that Trumbo had a setback, he did reveal that Trumbo “wasn’t quite comfortable” going full speed in the first game of a rehab stint with Double-A Bowie. The team didn’t provide a new timeline for Trumbo. Pedro Alvarez and Danny Valencia figure to continue platooning at the DH spot in his absence.
- It appears as though Aaron Hicks has completed his rehab assignment. The outfielder tells reporters that he’s excited to rejoin the Yankees tomorrow (Twitter link Conor Foley of the Scranton Times-Tribune). Hicks walked and doubled in his second Triple-A rehab game tonight. He’s been out for two weeks with an intercostal strain that he suffered in the season opener. Meanwhile, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com tweeted yesterday that Jacoby Ellsbury will be shut down for 72 hours after receiving a cortisone shot in his ailing hip, so it seems the Yankees will likely have an update on him later this week once he attempts to resume baseball activities.
Red Sox Place Xander Bogaerts On Disabled List
The Red Sox announced that they’ve placed shortstop Xander Bogaerts on the 10-day disabled list due to a “small crack in the talus bone in his left ankle.” Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston first reported that the Sox were going to place Bogaerts on the DL with a bone injury in his foot, adding that Bogaerts is in a walking boot (all Twitter links).
While any kind of broken bone is worrying, it seems this is rather a minor injury. Indeed, the Sox’ announcement indicates optimism that Bogaerts can return in 10 to 14 days. They’ve recalled infielder Tzu-Wei Lin from Triple-A Pawtucket in the meantime.
Nevertheless, it’s unfortunate to see Bogaerts face an obstacle after he had turned in a strong opening run to the 2018 campaign, with a .368/.400/.711 slash over his first forty plate appearances. Last season was a bit of a down year at the plate for Bogaerts, who is still just 25 years of age. He’s already earning a healthy $7.05MM salary this year and could command a big payday in his final season of arbitration eligibility if he can return in relatively short order and continue to be productive with the bat.
AL East Notes: Red Sox, Bogaerts, Yankees, Didi
Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts suffered a left ankle injury Sunday, causing him to leave their game against the Rays, the team announced (via Rob Bradford of WEEI, on Twitter). Boston’s further evaluating Bogaerts, who has been one of the driving forces behind its 8-1 start this season. The 25-year-old’s hitting a red-hot .368/.400/.711 with two home runs through 40 plate appearances. The Red Sox replaced Bogaerts on Sunday with utilityman Brock Holt.
More on Boston and its archrival:
- Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius, who’s in his penultimate year of team control, would like to remain in the Bronx for the long haul. Asked this weekend if he’d be open to signing an extension, Gregorius told Randy Miller of NJ.com, “If they offer me something and I get a chance to stay here, I’ll stay here.” The Yankees and Gregorius haven’t discussed a new deal to this point, the 28-year-old informed Miller. Whether that will happen is unclear, especially with Orioles star shortstop Manny Machado slated to hit free agency next winter. Machado could be a target for the Yankees next offseason, which would put Gregorius’ future in question. Gregorius has held his own since joining the Yankees in 2015, though, meaning they could be content with him at short. He has hit a tremendous .367/.513/.900 with three homers in 39 trips to the plate this season.
- Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia is making progress in his recovery from the left knee surgery he underwent in October, manager Alex Cora told Ian Browne of MLB.com and other reporters Sunday. Pedroia is slated to begin running the bases Tuesday, which would be the final hurdle in his recovery, Browne notes. Should that go well, Pedroia would remain on track to return in May. The Red Sox have been well-equipped to go without Pedroia early this year, thanks to the presence of Eduardo Nunez.
- Yankees first baseman Greg Bird, out since undergoing right ankle surgery in late March, is on schedule to come back sometime within the original six- to eight-week timetable, Danny Knobler writes for MLB.com. “I don’t have a bad ankle,” Bird said Sunday. “That was told to me by the doctor. I just had a bone spur that had to be taken out.” Injuries have beset Bird since he debuted in 2015, having held him to a meager 94 regular-season games in his career. His latest issue has led New York to use Tyler Austin and Neil Walker at first base this year. Austin has been productive in Bird’s stead, though, with a .231/.310/.500 line and two HRs in 29 PAs.